In partnership with the Folger Shakespeare Library, the National Building Museum announced an Elizabethan twist to their iconic summer exhibit.
Hang on to your ruffs, because the bard is coming to the city! The Grand Hall of the National Building Museum (401 F Street NW) will be transformed into Shakespeare's playhouse, from July 4 to September 7.
You'll be able to wander the building-within-a-building design of a Shakespearean theater at the seventh installation hosted in this dramatic space. Attend workshops on how to make your own ruffled collar and even do swordplay for the stage.
“We look forward to exploring the interconnections of architecture, construction, theater, performance, and design. The Museum is honored to host this living art in a way Washington has never seen. We present a building within a building, engaging in one of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays through the lens of the building arts.” — Chase Rynd, Executive Director of the National Building Museum
Courtesy of Folger Theatre
The Folger Theatre troupe will perform the classic comedy, A Midsummer's Night Dream, each week during the exhibit. If you've never seen it, the play is a fairy-filled tale of love and misunderstanding.
“This colorful, portable, and freestanding theater provides a perfect platform for entering this dream of a play, where real and imagined worlds blend. Bringing favorite Folger actors and artistic team members to undertake this theatrical adventure is the extraordinary beginning of partnerships and performances off-site during the Folger’s renovation.” — Janet Alexander Griffin, Artistic Producer for the Folger Theatre
Performances will be Tuesday–Sunday, from July 7 to August 30. You can purchase tickets online here or by phone at (202) 544-7077. Folger subscribers can buy their tickets now, but the public tickets will be available after April 1. Read more about the benefits of subscribing to the Folger Library here.
For more information about the 2020 Summer Block Party, visit the National Building Museum's website.
Are you excited about the plans for this year's Summer Block Party? Let us know what you think in the comments!